Zero fox given, p.4
Zero Fox Given, page 4
He really could have, instead of mercilessly slamming her with the instant rejection.
Kind of made her want to put her glasses back on her face and cuddle up in one of her thick turtlenecks so she could start hiding again.
“It would be grossly unprofessional of me to do that.” Victor’s lips pulled up at the corner of his perfect mouth. His mannerism was gentle enough, but that didn’t help her wounded pride.
Try and try again, though. Right?
“Well, you did call me cute.” She stepped up to him, invading his personal space. He didn’t step back from her. He watched her, holding his ground, as though he was in perfect control of this situation.
Zelda wanted to change that. She pressed herself against him. Through the robe, she felt the leather jacket he wore against her breasts, and beneath that she felt the heat of his body, and the firm muscle beneath that.
She was so in tune with his body it was crazy. She felt him through his clothes as though they both stood there with nothing on.
“Just one little kiss?” She batted her lashes at him. “It won’t take more than a few seconds.”
And she intended to make sure it lasted as long as possible.
His face remained a neutral mask. He reached his hands up, his strong fingers clasping around her small wrists as he gently eased her back.
But it was too late. Zelda already felt the increase in heat from his body, and she saw the way his pupils went wide.
She was having a reaction on him. He just wasn’t showing it.
“Sorry, can’t do that either. If it makes you more comfortable, I won’t call you cute ever again.”
That wouldn’t make her feel more comfortable. That would bother her something fierce. She wanted him to call her cute. She wanted him to tell her how much he wanted her, especially now that she knew for a fact he was denying the urge to touch her.
“Don’t pout.”
“Not pouting.”
He let go of her wrists. Already she missed the tingle in her arms. The warmth of his touch shot up her arms and did something to her that she couldn’t exactly explain.
She wanted it back. She wanted Victor to touch her again. Longer this time. Not just on her wrists either.
Zelda swallowed. “I…”
She choked before she could say it. She wanted him to touch her. She wanted his hands all over her body and her thighs around his waist while he thrust inside her.
She wanted him in bed with her. Or in her shower. On the couch, the kitchen floor, it didn’t matter where because this was her mate and she needed him.
Victor shook his head. “Don’t finish that thought. It’s not gonna happen.”
She looked at him, taking note of his face, his eyes.
And how absolutely serious he was. It radiated off him. Victor clenched his hands into fists, biting down on his lips briefly before speaking.
“You’re my client. For now. I won’t jeopardize your life by getting involved with you.”
“You wouldn’t be jeopardizing anything. You already saved me.” She had to make him see that. She wanted his hands on her again.
She reached for him. Needing him to touch her. Needing to feel that again.
He pulled back when she touched his hands.
“No.”
The rejection got her hard. Got her right in the chest. Zelda couldn’t believe it.
She swallowed hard. “I think you’re my mate.”
Victor hissed.
Zelda winced.
Was it really that horrible of an idea?
“I’ll give Steve a call. We’ll figure something out.”
“What are you going to do?”
“First, keep an eye on you until we can find out where your ex went off to. Chances are he was the one who sent that guy after you. We just have to get him talking then we’ll know for sure.” Victor rubbed his chin, briefly looking away from her. “I’ll get Steve to watch over you full time. There are some other guys I know. We can bring them in on this for when Steve needs to sleep. Don’t shake your head at me. This is the way it’s going to be.”
“It doesn’t have to be. I like having you around.”
“Next thing I’ll do is find out if this mating thing is true or not.”
He said it as though Zelda hadn’t spoken a word. And she didn’t like that, or the implication of what he said. “You think I’m lying?”
She’d left the wolf pack because they had accused her of lying. She didn’t go home because she didn’t want to put her brother and uncle through that either, or watch as the fox elders had to decide whether or not to believe her and pretend otherwise to keep the pack safe, or turn her away.
She couldn’t even get someone to believe her on something as simple as a mating.
Un-fucking-believable.
She backed off from him. “So you’re just going to dump me off on your friends? I thought you said my brother and uncle were paying you?”
“I’m not dumping you off. Steve and I are in business together and we know other people we trust in our line of work. You’ll be perfectly safe and be treated with the respect you need. Having someone paid to protect you jumping into bed with you wouldn’t exactly be a smart move.”
“So you’re saying I’m stupid for wanting this? Is that it?”
Where was this anger even coming from? She didn’t entirely understand. Part of her got where he was coming from, she really did, but the idea that he wasn’t going to be the one watching over her, when he was the only one she needed, cut her in a way that she’d never been cut before.
It was different from when she’d overheard Harry talking about what he’d done with Ben and Gerard, a different kind of shock, a different kind of pain, and it stung.
Victor’s lips thinned. “I did a sweep of your apartment. Everything is clear. I’ll do a check of your vehicle tomorrow, but for tonight, I’ll call Steve over here. He’ll be parked on the side of the road right over there.”
He pointed. From where they stood, Zelda could see the spot he indicated out the far window.
“So you’re leaving?”
“Until Steve gets here, no. I won’t. We’ll make sure there’s always security with you.”
“Uh huh, and while you’re gone, you’re going to do a little digging to make sure I’m not lying about you being my mate?”
“Just because I think you’re a beautiful woman doesn’t mean I’m mated to you.”
“Humans can feel the pull of a mating with shifters. That does happen.”
“I’m not entirely human.”
She was shocked he’d revealed that about himself. The way he straightened his spine told her he didn’t mean to let that horse loose either.
“So you’re a subhuman. What kind of animal?”
“Since I can’t shift, it hardly matters.”
They looked at each other for what felt like a long minute before Victor made for the door.
Zelda opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She wanted to call out to him, to tell him the perfect words he needed to hear to keep him here with her, but her throat, and her brain, became stuck.
“Lock the door behind me,” Victor said, as though she needed the reminder.
At the same time, the sound of the door shutting behind him, his lack of presence, and warmth, in the room did glue her feet to the floor.
She unstuck herself and marched to the door. She slid the chain back into place and turned the bolt, locking herself inside.
Zelda kept her hand on the door. The door her mate had touched.
The mate who would not touch her.
She pressed her back to the wood, biting down on her knuckle.
If he didn’t want her…if he decided to remove himself entirely from the equation…
She wouldn’t let him.
Zelda went to have her bath, grabbing her phone and Victor’s card along the way so she could Google something.
She had the perfect idea.
Zelda sent Victor a quick text, then put her phone on mute and cleaned up for the night.
If this worked, it was going to be so much fun.
Chapter 6
Ever since Zelda had left her husband, and her pack, and her family, behind, she’d decided to go a little rogue on certain things.
Which was why there was a sink full of dirty dishes in her small kitchen, why she had more shoes than she knew what to do with, all purchased with Harry’s money—because screw him and he’d cheapened out on their first Christmas together, and her birthday—Zelda also didn’t tidy up her room so much anymore either.
Which, now that she thought about it, made it kind of a good thing that she didn’t manage to get Victor into her bedroom last night.
Either way, she’d turned into a bit of a slob, and one of the things that came with that was sleeping until almost one in the afternoon.
Regularly.
Staying up all night dancing and drinking seemed to have that effect. Mornings were something she slept through now instead of enjoyed as her husband went off to hunt for the pack.
She used to make the breakfast, do the dishes, the laundry, and then settle down with a good book all before lunch time.
Not so much anymore.
Her hair wasn’t even brushed yet.
She checked her phone, her heart thudding a little harder than usual as she checked for a message from Victor.
There was one. She was glad to see it as she walked to her window.
She frowned at the sight of a black SUV she didn’t recognize.
That did not look like Victor’s Toyota. The color was the same, and it had gotten her hopes up a little, but that was about it.
She checked the message on her phone, then heaved a relieved sigh when she read Victor’s message.
Steve gets off at 2PM. I’ll be there early to watch over everything. If you leave, let him know. Text him when you get up so he knows you’re aware of him, though he will message you. You have his number on the card.
She did, too. In fact, there was also a message from Steve telling her when he’d arrived. Last night at four-thirty in the morning. Well after she’d gone to sleep.
It was the next part of Victor’s message that made Zelda smile all the more.
Couldn’t find anyone to replace me just yet. We’ll just have to hang tight for a little while longer.
Right. As if it was some kind of chore for Zelda to have her mate around.
With the amount of time she had left, there was more than enough for her to get dressed, do her makeup and hair, and even go down to introduce herself to Steve. She could bring him a coffee and one of the leftover cherry pastries she had in her fridge.
Just because she wasn’t Suzy Q Homemaker anymore didn’t mean she didn’t still have the urges to be a good host.
She set to work.
Victor arrived fifteen minutes earlier than his text said he would. Which was impressive considering Zelda wasn’t home.
She’d told Steve where she was going for her class, and he dropped her off. She asked him to not tell Victor exactly what was here, which he refused to do. All that sucking up with the coffee and donuts hadn’t done anything for her. Steve even smiled at her in a similar way to how Victor had as he’d disappointed her.
“Can’t keep anything like this from my partner, can I?”
“It’s not like it would hurt anything.”
Steve looked up at the sign over the front door, his brown eyes sparkling. “No, but I still can’t keep secrets from him. For your safety and everything.”
He looked back at Zelda. He really was a handsome guy. Tall, broad in the shoulders without looking like he’d stuck needles into himself in order to keep that look either. Fit and healthy with a nice head of red-brown hair, though he kept himself better shaved than Victor did.
As handsome as he was, Zelda didn’t feel that same pull towards Steve Delany as she did for Victor Kincaid. Steve smelled nice, too, but not nice enough that Zelda was dying for the man to touch her.
Steve reached out, gently patting her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure that when he gets here, he’ll like the surprise you’ve got set up for him.”
When Victor arrived, even though Zelda was aware that Steve had told him where they were going, he did still manage to look surprised when he looked at the sign.
Victor blinked at it, looked at Zelda, and then at his partner. “I was hoping you were kidding.”
Steve snorted. He looked way too amused by this. Zelda thought she was going to like having him around for when Victor couldn’t be here.
“I’ll go check out the perimeter. If you want, you can go inside with Miss Wolff to make sure everything is secure.”
That was another reason why Zelda liked Steve. He called her Miss Wolff. He didn’t need to be reminded again and again that she was no longer a Mrs. Singer.
If there was a way Zelda could go back in time and make it so that never happened at all, that would be fabulous.
Victor nodded, and Steve took off.
Zelda thought he would just get into his SUV and go when Victor’s Toyota pulled up, but she supposed that being in this line of work meant doing more than the obvious.
“After I confirm everything is in order inside, I won’t be staying.”
“What? Why?”
Victor rolled his eyes, though Zelda noted with a slight triumph that his mouth did that quirking thing at the corner.
“Don’t play all innocent with me. I am not going in there and watching a bunch of woman in tight yoga pants doing a pole dancing class.”
“It wasn’t them I was hoping you would be looking at.”
His dark blue gaze flitted to her before he looked away quickly.
Zelda grinned. She had him right where she wanted him. This was going to be perfect.
Or, maybe, not so much.
It turned out that a beginner’s pole dancing class didn’t have a lot to do with looking sexy and had more to do with listening to the instructor as she explained how to hold the pole, how many steps to take, to keep on her toes, to hold her shoulders back, and how to do a proper spin.
It was the most basic of beginner spins, apparently, the fireman, and Zelda couldn’t seem to do. She couldn’t get the spin going and kept sliding into the pole before going down onto her butt.
Luckily, everyone else in the class was smiling and having fun with their lesson, so no one seemed to notice the way Zelda struggled.
She really shouldn’t have insisted that Victor stand by and watch. She’d managed to convince him to come inside, which he hadn’t been happy about, and after Zelda explained to the instructor what he was and Victor showed his ID, he was allowed to stay.
It took a while for the other students to forget about him standing by the door, but Zelda didn’t forget.
The man wore a pair of stereotypical sunglasses. He was just missing the earpiece to look entirely official. It didn’t matter because she could feel his eyes on her as she danced.
Attempted to dance.
Fuck.
Zelda’s ears twitched and her tail wouldn’t hold still. She struggled to not glance back at him, but every time she did, she caught sight of that look on his face.
So serious, but he was holding back a smile. She could tell that much.
The asshole.
“Are you having some trouble here?”
Zelda jumped. “Oh, sorry.”
She tried not to laugh at herself for being so nervous, but it was difficult.
The instructor shook her head. “Do not be sorry. You’re doing very well.”
Zelda looked to the other dancers in the class as they did their spins. Some had already mastered the spin, and there were a few others who kept themselves off their feet entirely.
They had either been practicing from home or were just showing off.
“You look nervous.” The instructor glanced to Victor, who stood with his hands clasped in front of him, looking for all the world as though he wasn’t seeing anything in front of him. Aware of everything around him, but capable of not showing it. Zelda never realized that could be such a skill before.
“I’m a little nervous.”
Might as well not lie about it.
“Don’t be,” said the instructor. She had a soft French accent and a friendly air about her that gave off the impression of someone who was definitely in charge of this class, but at the same time, was everyone’s friend who walked in. “Come now, show me your stance.”
Zelda did.
“Okay, now your weight needs to be at the exterior while you hang on. If you lean too close, you’ll spin into the pole. We don’t want that. Hold the pole in your hand up high like a baseball bat. Yes. Just like that. Now, one step, two steps, three, and on the fourth you push yourself into the spin. There you go! Just like that. Good. Good.”
Zelda felt pretty good about it, too. Now that she was doing it, a sense of pride came over her, and she couldn’t believe she’d struggled with this earlier.
She did it again.
“Wow, this is easy!”
And kind of fun. It reminded her of being a kid again and climbing the jungle gym, or being on a swing set. She could do this all day long.
“Hey, Victor, you see that?”
She looked back at him, immediately seeking out the approval of her mate.
Victor coughed and adjusted his stance. “Yes. Very good.”
Zelda’s question seemed to remind the rest of the students that he was there, which put a brief damper on things before they went back to what they were doing and the instructor called for them to perform another kind of spin.
Right. Maybe Zelda shouldn’t be reminding the other ladies in here that there was a man watching. Luckily, Victor just looked so professional as he stood there. He was easy for the others to ignore.
Not Zelda. She couldn’t ignore him. She could never get him out of her head after this and she wanted him to see what her body could do.
She was a fox shifter. She could be graceful when the time called for it, and she was going to do it.
She spun around one more time before standing straight again, listening as the instructor showed them how to get the next move going.
